Latest news with #childdrowning
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Oklahoma doctor arrested after her 4-year-old daughter was found dead in a Florida pool
A pediatrician from the Oklahoma City metro area was arrested in connection with the recent death of her 4-year-old daughter in Florida. Detectives with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office traveled to the Oklahoma City area and, with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service and the Oklahoma City Police Department, arrested Dr. Neha Gupta, 36, on a first-degree murder complaint. Investigators allege that Gupta killed her daughter, Aria Talathi, who was found floating unresponsive in a backyard pool early Friday, June 27, at a residence in the El Portal village of Miami, Florida. "The arrest of Neha Gupta by the U.S. Marshals in Western Oklahoma working a collateral lead is a prime example of good communication and teamwork by dedicated officers," Johnny Kuhlman, U.S. marshal for the Western District of Oklahoma, said in a statement. "Ms. Gupta is facing a serious criminal charge and getting her into custody to face that charge was a priority for law enforcement." More: Logan County plane crash victim identified, investigation underway According to a news release from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Gupta and her daughter had traveled from Oklahoma City and were staying at a short-term rental. Officers with the Village of El Portal Police Department responded to a 911 call about 4:30 a.m. July 27 reporting a child drowning in the residential pool. Paramedics took the unresponsive child to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where Aria Talathi was pronounced dead, according to another news release from the U.S. Marshals Service. On Monday, June 30, a warrant for Gupta was issued out of Miami-Dade County, and law enforcement arrested her without incident about 2:45 p.m. at a residence in the 200 block of NW 152nd Street in Edmond, the U.S. marshals wrote. "This individual is accused of committing a horrendous act and her swift arrest illustrates the professionalism, communication, and teamwork of all agencies involved," Gadyaces Serralta, U.S. marshal for the Southern District of Florida, said in a statement Wednesday, July 2. "I extend my sincere gratitude to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Oklahoma City Metro Fugitive Task Force." Gupta worked as a licensed doctor specializing in pediatric care at Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health in Oklahoma City. Her legal counsel is arguing that authorities have been too quick to label her a suspect in her daughter's death. "It's disheartening to learn the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office is rushing to judgment without all the investigatory tools having come to fruition,' Richard Cooper, an attorney representing Gupta, told KOCO-TV in an interview July 2. "Someone who has experienced the unimaginable is now sitting in jail and is now being labeled as a murderer and is sitting in jail when she should be burying her child." Gupta is pending extradition to Miami-Dade County, where she is expected to be formally charged with first-degree murder. "Because we think it's a rush to judgment, we look forward to all the facts coming out, and all the evidence, and then we'll see what happens," Cooper added. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma doctor arrested after 4-year-old girl found dead in FL pool
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Female pediatrician arrested after tragedy struck 'when she let daughter play in backyard pool at 3am'
An Oklahoma pediatrician was arrested in connection with the death of her young daughter, who drowned in a backyard pool at a rental home in the middle of the night. Dr. Neha Gupta, 36, of Oklahoma City, is accused of killing her four-year-old, Aria Talathi, who was found unresponsive in a residential pool around 3am last month while the family was vacationing in El Portal, Florida, according to a press release from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO). Gupta now faces a first-degree murder charge following a weeks-long investigation and is currently awaiting extradition to Miami-Dade County. Just after 3.30am on June 27, El Portal police responded to a 911 call reporting a child drowning at a short-term rental in the 100 block of Northwest 90th Street - the home where Gupta was allegedly staying with her daughter during their visit to South Florida. When officers arrived, they found four-year-old Aria 'floating in a pool' behind the home, completely unresponsive, as reported by NBC Miami. Paramedics with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue performed CPR at the scene before transporting her to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where she was pronounced dead. The tragedy was initially described as a 'horrible accident,' according to Gupta's attorney, Richard Cooper, who emphasized the shock and heartbreak surrounding the overnight incident, as reported by Local 10 News. 'I've been with her the whole morning,' Cooper told the outlet at the time. 'She is very sad, very distraught.' However, perspectives on Aria's drowning began to shift after the MDSO took over the case from El Portal police, prompting investigators to take a closer look at the child's mother. 'The fact that a four-year-old at 3 o'clock in the morning would be outside is, to me, a little bit alarming,' a neighbor, identified only as Barbra, told Local News 10. Officials said that, 'through investigative efforts and in consultation with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office,' an arrest warrant was issued for Gupta on a charge of first-degree murder. With the combined efforts of multiple agencies - including the MDSO, the Oklahoma City Police Department's Homicide Unit and the U.S. Marshals Service - authorities were able to locate the 36-year-old mother in Oklahoma City and take her into custody. Authorities have not yet released an arrest affidavit or provided further details regarding Gupta's alleged involvement in her daughter's drowning. In a statement to Cooper said: 'My co-counsel, Michael Mirer, Esq, and I are upset to learn of this arrest. I've never seen an arrest for murder before toxicology reports are in.' 'We look forward to learning more as we conduct our independent investigation,' he added. 'All I know is a mother missed her daughter's funeral. It is one unimaginable tragedy on top of another.'
